The spot, called 'Alligator Bridge', is just metres away from the roundabout leading to Fort Clarence Beach, and is about five minutes drive from a number of residential communities, has been a major nesting site for crocodiles for decades, NEPA officials said.
  Curious onlookers at ‘Alligator Bridge’ in Hellshire, St Catherine peer into the murky swamp in an effort to catch a glimpse of crocodiles nesting in the area. The National Environment and Planning Agency (NEPA) is warning persons to stay away for their own safety. (Photo: Rhoma Tomlinson) |
When the Observer visited the area last Wednesday evening, a number of curious onlookers including children, were seen leaning over the bridge wall trying to catch a glimpse of the creatures, who surfaced regularly. On occasion, children were left unattended while their curious parents tried to snap photos.
There is no visible barrier preventing access to the crocodile infested waters by members of the public. Some weeks ago, the area between the swamp and the land was cordoned off with a yellow tape to warn onlookers of the danger. However, there was no tape when the news team visited the site on Wednesday.
One Hellshire resident commented that it was a strange phenomenon to see the creatures surfacing at the sound of human voices given that crocodiles usually flee from sound and commotion.
"Dem soon come out and eat up all a wi weh live a Hellshire," she said.
Reports are that persons have even been feeding the crocs with uncooked chicken meat, while others have been throwing particles of food into the waters below the bridge to get them to come closer to their human visitors.
But NEPA officials say this is a dangerous practice.
"We have to ask the public to avoid the area," said Natalie Fearon, public relations officer at NEPA. She added that the 'Alligator Bridge' area in Hellshire is a popular nesting site for the reptiles, which reproduce their young between February and August each year.
"It's the human intervention that's causing a problem... people need to leave them be. When it becomes a problem is when someone decides to do something outside of the norm," she said.
The curious onlookers have reportedly caused traffic to pile up along the Hellshire Road, especially on a Sunday when busloads of persons head to the beaches at Fort Clarence and Hellshire.
NEPA officials told the Observer that they are working closely with Urban Development Corporation (UDC) rangers and the Island Special Constabulary Force (ISCF) to keep human beings away from crocodile-prone areas.
"They should be avoided anywhere you see them. We've put out notices with specific information about the crocodiles and people harassing and molesting them in that area... at one point, police had to be marshalling the area to get the traffic moving," Fearon told the Observer.
The NEPA official said if members of the public feel they're at risk of being harmed by a crocodile, "call NEPA, we'll send our officers out to assess the situation and remove them if we have to," she said.
This is not the first time that residents in Portmore and Hellshire have had close encounters with the reptiles.
Earlier this year, a man was attacked by one of the reptiles while fishing in a lake near to Fort Clarence, which is close to the 'Alligator Bridge'. The man, a resident of Hellshire, reportedly fought off the crocodile and escaped major injury.
Residents of Greater Portmore have also reported spotting crocodiles in their roadside drains when it rains heavily and water level rise.
Meanwhile, NEPA is reminding members of the public that the creatures are protected under the Wildlife Act, and persons who kill or harass them could be fined up to $100,000 or be sentenced to one year in prison.
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